Chapter 19

Gaia was as peaceful as Jack remembered as they stepped onto the thick forested planet and the wormhole disengaged behind them. The smell of damp earth tinged his senses, a soft breeze chilling his skin. The calmness surrounding them belied the panic building within him. He'd half expected Lya or Anteaus to be here to greet them. The fact that they weren't, gave him pause.

Beside him, Sam shifted uneasily, transferring more weight onto him as her steps faltered. The energy she'd mustered to allay her father's fears was quickly abating, leaving her even weaker than before. "Which way, sir?" she asked the question with labored breath.

"I'm not sure," Jack appraised the woods, tightening his arm around Sam's waist. "I kinda expected a welcoming party."

Sam grunted in reply, unable to speak, her body trembling with the effort it was taking to remain upright. Her heart thundered in her chest, the sound drowning out everything else around her as she tried to catch her breath.

"C'mere," Jack said, shifting his hold and lifting her easily into his arms.

"You don't—" she started to protest, but stopped, knowing she wouldn't be able to go any further without his strength. Pulling herself tighter into his chest she whispered an apology against his neck as embarrassment filled her. She hated being weak.

Jack carried her down the stone steps and paused. It had been eight years since he'd sat foot on Gaia, but the lesson he'd learned that day was one he'd never forget; the floating city cloaked in the sky, a sight he knew would still be present.

"Help us," Jack stated emphatically. "Help them. Please," he spoke into the wind, knowing they'd hear him.

The air in front of him shimmered lightly as a familiar voice spoke. "It is good to see you once again, friends," Lya appeared, her soft welcoming smile belying the panic Jack felt inside.

"Your mate is unwell," Lya immediately observed, her face falling into a concerned frown. "Bring her, we must gather together," she turned and walked into the woods leaving Jack no choice but to follow.

The hike to Lya's home was shorter than Jack remembered, or maybe it just seemed that way as he carried Sam. She was barely conscious, her head lying listless against his shoulder. The soft rise and fall of her chest was the only indication she was still alive.

"Hang on, Sam," he murmured as the familiar round grass huts came into view. A wave of relief washed through Jack at the sight. The Nox had brought SG-1 back to life after they'd been killed by Aphophis, surely saving Sam wouldn't be as difficult.

"Antaeus," Lya called, her gentle voice carrying on the breeze as they entered the semicircle of huts. Turning to Jack, she motioned to the flower-covered altar next to the outdoor hearth that was at the heart of the small village. "Place her there," she instructed, crossing to Antaeus who had come out of one of the huts.

"O'Neill," Antaeus greeted after embracing Lya. "What has happened?"

"We need your help," Jack replied, quickly laying Sam on the altar and easing her head down gently. "Thor spoke to you?"

"He said a child was created," Lya said with sorrowful eyes. "May I?" Lya gestured to Sam, her intent obvious.

When Jack nodded, she gently laid her hand upon Sam's abdomen and closed her eyes. Lya cocked her head slightly as if listening intently. After a few seconds a soft smile played upon Lya's lips. "Your child grows strong," she said, her eyes still closed. Her brow furrowed in concentration. "But Samantha's body was not meant to grow another so quickly," Lya opened her eyes and gazed at Sam intently before finally removing her hand and taking a small step backward. She looked to Antaeus, a silent message passing between them.

"Please," Jack said, fighting to keep his tone calm. "I can't lose her."

"There may be a way," Lya nodded, looking to Antaeus for confirmation.

"As you know, the Nox value all life," Antaeus looked at Jack intently. "However, when one life threatens another, it is unfair to ask both to perish."

"She wants this child," Jack stated, firmly. "We want this child. Please. Can you save them both?"

"We will try," Anteaus told him simply.

"Place your hands like this," Lya instructed, lightly applying pressure until Jack's hands were crossed, hovering just above Sam's pelvis. "Allow your mind to let go of what troubles you and focus solely on your mate."

Jack shifted uncomfortably at the mention of Sam as his mate for a second time, but closed his eyes and brought images of her into his mind.

"The Ancient healing power is within you," Lya explained, positioning her body and hands on Jack's right shoulder as Antaeus did the same to the left. "Reach out with your mind and find it."

Before Jack had time to react to her words, powerful lights flashed behind his eyelids, fireworks that took his breath away.

"Dad?" an eerily familiar voice called to him, jerking his eyes open as he stumbled away from the alter and Sam.

"Charlie?" Jack's voice was tight, emotion threatening to overwhelm him as he gazed upon a man in his early 20s. He was exactly as Charlie would have been had that fateful day never happened. "Son?"

"Hi Dad," Charlie grinned at him lopsidedly.

"How?" Jack stammered. "Not possible," he took a quick step backwards, shaking his head. "You can't be my son. He died a long time ago."

"I did," Charlie said sadly, "but as you know, death isn't always as final as it seems. Daniel wasn't the first person Oma helped to ascend."

"Ascend," Jack swallowed hard, fighting to understand what was happening. "But I buried my son. I buried his body."

"The body doesn't always have to disappear," Charlie shrugged. "That's just what Danny assumes always happens."

"You know Daniel?" Jack asked, desperately fighting back his emotions while keeping a solid hold on reality. Could this man really be his son? His ascended son?

"Of course." Charlie let out a chuckle. "You don't think Oma randomly chose him, do you?" At Jack's surprised look, Charlie laughed outright. "It's you, Dad. It's always been you. You're the Ancient. You're the one Oma watches over. It's why she saved me. Why she saved Daniel. And it's how you're going to save Sam."

"Sam," Jack gasped, spinning around to find Lya and Anteaus still standing beside him, or rather his body. They were all still; frozen in a moment in time.

Raising his hands, Jack saw they looked ghostly and semi-translucent, not at all like the solid figure of himself standing over Sam.

"Technically, this is all in your head," Charlie answered the unasked question before moving to stand beside his father. "But it's real. I'm real. I promise."

"Can you help her?" Jack asked, not even trying to understand what was happening. Best not to get bogged down with all the details; those were Danny and Sam's areas of expertise.

"You can," Charlie replied, emphasizing the first word. "Lya was correct. You have the Ancient healing power within you. You tapped into it once when Bra'tac was dying." At Jack's sharp look, Charlie shrugged, "I've always been nearby."

"It's a parent's job to protect their kid, not the other way around," Jack said through clenched teeth. The sins of his past reared up, suffocating him at the thought of Charlie taking care of him.

"You know the rules," Charlie replied, ignoring his Dad's anger. "I couldn't interfere even if I l'd wanted to."

"But you're interfering now," Jack reminded him.

"No," Charlie shook his head, "I'm merely showing you what was already there. Nothing more. Nothing less."

"You higher beings and your fine lines of logic," Jack scoffed, uneasily.

"Don't worry, Dad," Charlie smirked at him. "I give the others hell every chance I get. Wouldn't be an O'Neill if I didn't."

Jack barked out a laugh as his mind finally accepted what his soul already knew. This really was Charlie. His son was still alive, living on in a form Jack couldn't begin to understand, but then he didn't need to. Knowing was enough.

"You have what you came for. It's time for you to go back and save Sam," Charlie nodded toward the alter and the frozen figures surrounding it.

"But how?"

"You'll know," Charlie smiled at him. "The answer has always been within you."

"Thanks for being so cryptic, kid," Jack fought the urge to roll his eyes until Charlie's form started to fade. "Wait!" He gasped, his panic returning. "Don't go!"

"You've got this, Dad, don't worry. Give my new sister a kiss for me," he winked at Jack. "And for the record," his shape began to change, shrinking until the Charlie in front of him was once again a young boy, "I really like Sam."

Jack lurched sideways as all the air around him suddenly whirled violently. He felt a sharp tug, followed by the feeling of falling before he slammed back into his body. Not even taking a moment to regain his bearings, he pushed everything aside. Focusing his entire being on Sam and their child, he felt his palms grow warm as pure instinct took over.